Method of making linoleum



Dec. 19, 1933. J. EMIG METHOD OF MAKING LINOLEUK Filed Jan. 26, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 26, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J. EMIG 1,939,961

METHOD OF MAKING LINOLEUM Filed Jan. 26, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 19, 1933.

INVENTOR Patented Dec. 19, 1933 METHOD or MAKING 'LINoLEUM John Ernig, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Penns lvania Application January 26, 1932. Serial No. 588,872

22 Claims. (01. 15425) This invention relates to a method of making by reproducing the pack and subjecting it to the linoleum, the word linoleum being used as a process. word of general definition and not of limitation, I have found in practice that in order to get and being intended to include other or equivalent the proper color effects and a satisfactory prodmaterials. not it is important that the several sheets mak- 6Q In the production of linoleum having a marbled ing up the pack be homogeneous throughout. I pattern great difliculty has heretofore been enprefer on this account to limit the thickness of countered in obtaining patterns having the deany given sheet to not more than about 1/8th of sired appearance. The marbling processes herean inch. It may be and frequently is necessary 10 tofore employed have not given the characterin obtaining certain of the effects contemplated o5 istic veining which is desired. Furthermore, it by my invention to use strips thicker than this. has been extremely difficult to obtain continu- Where I desire a thick strip of a given color ously, or to reproduce at will, the general appearin the pack I make it up from several plies, none ance, color and value of a given pattern. Freof which is more than about 1/8th of an inch quently over a run of only a few days the general thick. This insures homogeneity throughout. appearance of the marble pattern will have varied In order to get the proper balance of colors quite materially and this is commercially undein the design, I find it necessary to limit the ratio sirable'. A suitable marbling process should conbetween the amounts of the different colors presstantly produce material which, while it has the cut. The base color should not be unduly, sub- 20 free veining and freedom from harshmechaniordinated to the variegated colors, nor should cal effect that are necessary in a marble pattern, the variegating colors stand out too prominently. should nevertheless continue to produce marbles Where the variegating colors are darker than the of the same general appearance and color value base color, there is danger of them obliterating so that a piece'made at one time from given mathe base. color in part, and hence the percentage 25. terials can be used successfully with a piece made of variegating color present is relatively small. so

at another time from like materials. I prefer to employ not more than about 10 or 12% Y I provide a process whereinan assemblage of of variegating color, and preferably in the neighstrips of; linoleum mix, constituting; a pack, is borhood of 8%. I have found, for example, in a subjected to pressure on the longitudinal edges pattern employing white as a base color and 30 of the strips, preferably by rolling. Where rolls black and gray for variegating colors, that there are employed the direction of rolling is 'longishould be about.91 /2% of base color and il tudinally. of the strips. Theeflectof applying of variegating color; on the other hand, where pressure t th edges of th strips i th pack the variegating color is lighter than the base, i to bu kl u h strips d form th pack i t there is considerable danger of the base color 85 an irregularly veined body This pressure also obliterating the variegating color. I therefore consolidates the several buckled strips. After Prefer that Where the base @0101" is darker than this flr troperation the bodies thus formed are the variegating color it shall not constitute more cross rolled. The cross rolling further reduces than to 85 per cent of. the total the thickness of the body and effects a sidewise example, in a pattern having a black base Color 40 distortion and spreading of the exposed portions white and gray as variegating I found V of the strips- A highly desirable marbling is necessary to employ /2% 0f variegating color thus obtained. It is desirable to maintain a m order to get the deslred efieohthus leavmg differential between the temperature of the rolls only ital/2% 9 base color" a in this operation, also to operate them at It is also important that, the sheets of varieslightly different peripheral speeds, as this has bearing on the. amount of sidewise spreading at' the surface and contributes to the final appeargraining is to be produced. When the packs are first rolled there is some flattening, and on cross rolling the colors are drawn out to some considerable extent. If the variegating sheets are relagating color be relatively thin if fine hard lined 50 The general tone of the pattern is determined tively thick there isconsiderable breaking through y the make-up of the Pack from which h Sheets of the base color on cross rolling. This produces are made- Various Colors Will be used and the a clouded effect, and in order to obtain fine hard sheets may be of different thicknesses. Once the lined graining I have found that the thickness of make-up of a pack has been determined, comthe variegating color sheets should not be greater 55 parable marbles can be produced at will simply than about 1/20th of an inch.

Cloudiness involving variegating color may be obtained by thickening the sheets of variegating color, but if it is desired to obtain a cloudy background with sharp contrasting color, the variegating color should be supplied in the form of relatively thin sheets, as above, and other steps taken to obtain cloudiness in the background. I prefer to employ a striated base sheet. For example, I have obtained a cloudy gray and white background by using a granular mix consisting of 5 parts of white and 3 parts of gray and calendering the same to produce a short choppy jasp graining. This material is used for background color in making up the packs.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating more or less diagrammatically a present preferred manner of carrying out the invention,

Figure l is a perspective view, partly broken away, showing a pack;

Figure 2 is a perspective illustrating the rolling of pieces cut from such pack;

Figure 3 is a view showing more or less diagrammatically the appearance of'the material after it has beensubjected to rolling as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the cross rolling;

Figure 5 is a view of a piece of linoleum made from material produced by my process; and

Figure 6 is a view showing a piece of striated base material.

Figure 1 illustrates a block made by piling together sheets of unmatured linoleum mix. In this particular case the block is made up of white bands 2, gray bands 3 and black bands 4. It will be noted that the white bands are made up of a plurality of plies 2a. For reasons above stated,

the piles 2a should not be more than 1/ 8th of an inch thick, and the bands 3 and 4 should not be more than about 1/16th of an inch thick. In practice I have employed sheets of the following thicknesses Inches whiten--. 120 Gray 035 Black. 025

with the colors in predetermined arrangement can be made up at will. 7

The difference in effect as between a light and a dark base color is well illustrated by considering two mixes which may be employed together. It is common to make linoleum patterns consisting oi! light and dark squares, and linoleum'made according to my process from the above described block may be used to form the light squares of a marble pattern. A dark block'ior forming the dark squares of the pattern has been made from sheets of the following thicknesses:

. Inches Black 125 Gray .070 White 0'75 The percentage of black in the block is 73. 5% and the percentage of variegating color is 26.5%. The degree of sharpness or hardness in the light and the dark patterns produced from the above blocks is about the same.

The unmatured sheets tend to adhere to one another to a degree, and. the block can be readily handled as a unit. Packs are cut oil or guillotined from the block along the chain lines a. The packs thus produced will be made up of relatively narrow strips or sheet-like pieces of linoleum mix. In the drawings the packs are indicated by the reference character 5.

I'have found in practice that for the production of linoleum in commercial gauges the thickness of the packs should be limited. For the production of linoleum of a thickness of 0.95 inches I have successfully employed packs 5/ 8ths of an inch thick. Generally speaking, the pack thickness should be from one-half to three-quarters of an inch.

Figure 2 shows the manner of subjecting the packs 5 to the first pressing operation. The packs are laid side by side on a table 6 and fed between calender rolls 7 and 8. In operation the bottom roll '7 is kept at a temperature of approximately 65 F. and the top roll 8 at a temperature of 100 F. There is also a difference of one tooth between the number of teeth in the pinions 9 connecting the calendar rolls together. This causes a wiping action which spreads the color to some extent. The drawings are not intended to be to scale, the thickness'of the linoleum being exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

The rolling of the slabs 5 serves to buckle the individual strips making up the packs; The packs also adhere to one another so that there is produced a relatively wide sheet of veined linoleum composition. The veins run generally parallel and are reasonably straight, as shown in Figure 3,'which it will be understood is diagrammatic only. The bucklingof the strips is indicated at 10 in Figure 4. In the first rolling operation the packs are reduced to l/4th to I/ 6th of their original thickness. I have successfully used'5/8ths inch thick packs and reduced to 1 8th inch sheets. r

The sheet of linoleum mix formed by the rolling operation of Figure 2 is cut into pieces of suitable length for cross rolling. The cross rollingmachine is shown in Figure 4. It is a substantial duplicate of the machine of Figure 2 but it will be noted that the material is fed crosswise through the rolls so as to effect sidewise spreading of the veins.

In Figure 4 I have indicated the piling of the sheets one on top of the other. In practice I have employed 8 thicknesses, making a total thickness of 1 inch,,and'have cross rolled the same to the final thickness of .095. If desired, the sheets can be overlapped so as .to make the operation of Figure 4 a continuous one.

It is in this operation that the preponderance of base color becomes most marked in the product. The percentage: of white linoleum in the slab is apparent from Figure 1. The cross rollingblack predominates. In Figure 5 the squares have been assembled on a burlap backing 13 and consolidated and matured in the usual manner.

Figure 6 shows a piece of striated linoleum which may be used instead of plain color, particularly where clouded effects in the background are desired.

My invention has been herein illustrated and described as applied to the production of a pattern simulating marble. It will be understood, however, that this is by way of illustration only as otherdesirable non-regular patterns may be produced by varying the make-up of the slabs which are employed. It will therefore be understood that while I have illustrated and described a present preferred form of the invention it is not limited to such form but may be otherwise embodied orpracticed within the scope of the following claims. i

I claim: a

1. In'the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack; to

pressure in a direction generally in the planeof the strips and along their longitudinal edges, to thereby form the pack into a veined body.

2. In'the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors'and are arranged in a pack, to pressure in a direction generally in the plane of the strips and along their longitudinal edges, to thereby buckle the strips and form the pack into a veined body.

3. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack, to pressure in a direction generally in the plane of the strips and along their longitudinal edges to thereby form the pack into a veined body, and then cross rolling such body.

4. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming a pack made up of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix on edge, which strips are of various colors, subjecting the pack to pressure, which pressure is applied in a direction generally in the plane of the strips and thereby forming the pack into an irregularly veined body.

5. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack, to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the strips and in a direction generally in the plane thereof,

to thereby reduce the thickness of the pack and form it into an irregularly veined body.

6. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in assembling sheets of linoleum mix, which sheets are of different colors, into a block, cutting the same into packs made up of strips of various colors, and subjecting the packs to pressure on the longitudinal edges of such strips to thereby form the slab into a veined body.

7. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in assembling sheets of linoleum mix, which sheets are of different colors, into a block, cutting the same into packs made up of strips .of various colors, and subjecting the packs to pressure on the longitudinal edges of such strips to thereby form the pack into a veined body, the packsbeing not thinner than'about one-half inch.

8. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting inasembling sheets of linoleum mix,

which sheets are of different colors, into a block,

cutting the same into packs made up of strips of various colors, and subjecting the packs to pressure on the longitudinal edges of such strips to thereby form thepack into a veined body, the slabs being not thicker than about of'an inch.

9. In the method ofmaking linoleum, the steps consisting in forming linoleum mix into sheet-like pieces, forming at least one of such pieces from linoleum composition of different colors so as to obtain a multi-colored piece, forming the pieces into a pack wherein there are pieces of different color, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces to thereby form the pack into a veined body.

10. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming sheet-like strips of linoleum mix into a pack wherein there are bands of dif ferent color, at least some of the bands being made of a plurality of plies, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the strips and in a directiongenerally in the plane thereof, to thereby form the pack into a veined body.

11. In the method of making linoleum, the' steps consisting in calendering linoleum mix into sheetlike pieces not more than about 1/ 8th inchinthickness, forming the pieces into a pack wherein there are bands of different color, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the londitudinal'edges of the pieces and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to thereby form the pack into a veined body. v

12. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in calendering linoleum mix into sheetlike pieces not more than about 1/ 8th inch in thickness, forming the pieces into a pack wherein there are bands of different color, at least some of the bands being made of a plurality of plies, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to thereby form the pack into a veined body.

13. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheetlike strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack, to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the strips and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to reduce the pack to 1/4th-1/6th of its original 125 thickness, and thus forming a veined body.

14. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming linoleum mix into sheetlike pieces of different colors, at least one color constituting a base color and other colors constituting variegating colors, arranging the colors in a pack and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to thereby 135 form the pack into a veined body.

15. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming linoleum mix into sheet-like pieces of different colors, at least one color constituting the base color and other colors 140 forming variegating colors, the base color being lighter than the variegating colors, forming the pieces intoa pack wherein the variegating colors are not in excess of 12%, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces 1 5 and in a direction generally in'the plane thereof, to thereby form the pack into a veined body.

'16. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming linoleum mix into sheet-like pieces of different colors, at least one 150 color constituting a background color and other colors constituting variegating' colors, the background color being darker than the variegating colors, forming the pieces into a pack wherein the background color does not exceed 85% of the whole, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces, and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to thereby formthe pack into a veined body.

17. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in forming linoleum mix into sheet-like pieces of different colors, certain of the pieces constituting back-ground color and other pieces constituting variegating color, the pieces constituting variegating color being not more than about 1/ 16th inch in thickness, assembling the sheets into a pack, and subjecting the pack to pressure on the longitudinal edges of the pieces and in a direction generally in the plane thereof, to thereby form the pack into a veined body. 7

18. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in assembling sheets of linoleum mix, which sheets are of different colors, into a block, cutting the same into packs made up of strips of various colors, subjecting the packs to pressure on the longitudinal edges of such strips to thereby form the slab into a veined body, and thereafter subjecting the body to cross rolling. 4

19. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheet-like strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack, to rolling, the roll pressure being applied in such manner as to deform the strips by compressing the edges of the strips toward one another, the direction of rolling being longitudinally of the strips.

20. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheet-like strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are-arranged in a pack, to rolling, the roll pressure being applied in such manner as to deform the strips by compressing the edges-of the strips toward one another, the direction of rolling being longitudinally of the strips, and thereafter subjecting the body to cross rolling.

21. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheet-like strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a, pack, to rolling, the roll pressure being applied in such manner as to deform the strips by compressing the edges of the strips toward one another, the direction of rolling being longitudinally of the strips, and'maintaining the rolls at different temperatures.

22. In the method of making linoleum, the steps consisting in subjecting an assemblage of sheet-like strips of linoleum mix, which strips are of various colors and are arranged in a pack, to rolling, the roll pressure being applied in such manner as to deform the strips by compressing the edges of. the strips toward one another, the direction of rolling being longitudinally of the strips, and, operating the rolls a different speed.

JOHN EMIG. 

